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Chapter Four


"Buffy, do you have that letter of Intent I dictated to you done yet?" William asked; coming into the spare office they'd cleaned up just enough on short notice to give to Buffy.

She bit her lip, "Sort of."

He frowned, "What do you mean sort of?" he came around her desk where she was perched on the edge of her seat, staring at the screen in which it appeared a thousand windows were open. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to figure out how to do it."

"What do you mean? You said you'd done letters before."

"I have, but when I did it and asked Dru to look it over, she said it was wrong. So I asked her to show me the correct way to do it and she talked in circles and told me to check all these different places for the format and then I got so confused, I didn't know what I was doing anymore." She sounded positively forlorn and all William wanted to do was take her in his arms and soothe her. It didn't help that her warm patchouli scent was settling over him, surrounding him and it was a scent his senses had already filed away as purely Buffy.

"Do you have the original letter you did?"

Buffy shook her head.

"Why not?"

"She shredded it."

William's eyes widened. "Where the bloody hell is she?"

"She said she had to go. She had an appointment—"

"Dammit, that's right. She told me she had to leave early today. Balls. You don't have it saved anywhere on the computer?"

Buffy nodded, "I do," and she clicked on one of the minimized windows, bringing it up.

William looked it over. "You just need a comma right there," he pointed at the screen and she punched in a comma. And then you just need to put what drive the letter came from and what it's called and you're done. The letter is fine Buffy."

Buffy looked up at him, "I told you she hated me."

William stared at her, hating how lost she looked. Gone was the confident woman he'd given the tour to just two hours before. "I'll talk to her," he promised.
"No!" Buffy said forcefully, shaking her head. "How will that look? Not only did Daddy get me a job, but then his best friend has to go and defend me like I'm a child and can't take care of myself?"

"Buffy—"

"I will take care of Dru," Buffy said resolutely and looked up at William.

"Buffy, I don't have to let on that I know what she was did or was trying to do."

"That might be true, but she'll know just the same. I'm an adult, somewhat; I don't want you or my father having to fight my battles for me."

"It's part of my job to make sure the work environment is harmonious," he told her, her stubbornness grating on him. He just wanted to help, why couldn't she just let him help?

"I can take care of it William," Buffy said stubbornly, grabbing the letter from the printer and stuffing it into an envelope.

"God, when did you become so damn stubborn?" he grumbled.

She stood and smiled, "I've always been stubborn William, you just didn't know me well enough back then."

"I didn't know you at all," he murmured as he watched her pink tongue dart out and lick the envelope. The act was positively mesmerizing and if he knew what she was doing to him, she probably would never lick another envelope in his presence again.
"No big deal," she said and shrugged. "I was a dumb teenager."

"Not dumb, not to be where you are now."

"I played at being dumb then. Thought it would get me friends; and it did. I learned they were not the friends I really wanted though."

"Growing and evolving is all part of growing up," he said, perching himself on the edge of her desk.

"Not just part of growing up; part of life."

"What are you doing now?"

She blinked. "Going home?"

"How about you let me take you out for dinner?" the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. It was, after all, what he wanted. He hadn't planned on actually asking her though. He feared it was crossing a boundary, he feared spending time with her outside of the office would make him want more, and possible generate office gossip that he didn't need nor want. He feared he'd do something stupid with her.

He feared she'd say no.

"Uh, well—"

And again, before he could stop himself, "Please, I insist."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Is this part of the deal with my Dad? Get Buffy out of the house?"

He furrowed his brow in confusion, "No, why would that be part of the deal?"

She shook her head, "Nothing, never mind." She pointed at him, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Don't think you can convince me to let you talk to Dru either."

He grinned, "Wouldn't think of it. I just want to –" Get to know you better, spend more time with you, not let you of my sight – all sounded good and all sounded dangerous. "Think of it as a first day perk."

She grinned saucily at him and tilted her head to the side. "No wonder Dru got the wrong idea."

"I never took Dru out, there was no ‘idea' to get."

The words, more the possible implication of those words, hung between them and William wanted to kick himself. Down boy, he told himself. And when he saw her start to fidget nervously and then turn away from him, it was time to recover the situation. However, he wasn't sure just how to do that. He was aware that anything said at that point would be seen as him trying to recover the situation. Buffy had already proven her ability to get to the bottom of a situation and see through bullshit.

"Buffy, I'm sorry, I was just teasing you. You don't have to join me for dinner—"

She surprised him by spinning around and smiling, albeit nervously, "It's okay William. You're practically part of the family, right? So it's no big deal. Kind of like an uncle to me, right?"

He nodded dumbly; feeling very much not like an uncle at all, but a dirty old man.

"Great. Do you mind if we stop by and see my dad first?"

Trying to further salvage the situation, William added, "Maybe he could come with us."

"Maybe," she chirped and headed for the door. She turned to him. "Coming?"

William swallowed, "Coming." I wish, he thought.

**************************************************************************************************

"Do you mind if I call home?" Buffy asked as she and William made their way out of Hank's offices. Hank had already gone home it appeared.

"Not at all," William said.

She whipped out her cell and pushed a couple buttons as they rode the elevator to the first floor. She clicked it shut a minute later and frowned, slipping the phone in her purse. "No answer."

"Maybe they went out for dinner, "William offered.

"Maybe," she said distractedly.

He studied her; she looked perplexed. "What's going on, Buffy?" he asked.

Her head jerked to him, "What do you mean?"

"Why are you so concerned about what's going on at home? Something's up. You want to tell me about it?"

"No."

"Fair enough, but since I've been around for the past couple years, maybe I know something you don't."
"Maybe," she said evasively. "But I doubt it."

"How would you know?" he asked, slightly exasperated.

"Because I know my father." The elevator door dinged open and she stepped out. "So, where are we going?"

"How do you feel about Italian?" He decided to let the comment about Hank go and file it away for later. She'd talk when she was ready and he wasn't going to cross-examine her; he was learning that that would make her clam up more. He wanted her to tell him things willingly.

"As it so happens, I like Italian," she said and smiled brightly at him.


"So, tell me about the string of broken hearts you've left behind," William said over dessert. They'd had a great dinner and William found himself becoming more and more enraptured by her. She was inquisitive, smart, and funny. Her laugh and smile touched something deep inside him. He always wanted to make her laugh and smile.

She rolled her eyes, "There wasn't a string."

"Come on," he goaded her lightly.

"Well, there was this one guy," she admitted slowly and took a bite of her Toll House cheese cake.

He watched her, thinking dirty thoughts and finding himself jealous of a bloody fork.

"And?" William urged her.

"His name was Riley. I thought we were just friends but when I told him I was leaving he begged me to stay. There was an awkward kiss that followed."

William chuckled thinking ‘What a ponce', and said "Are you planning to keep in touch with him?"

"Not bloody likely," she said cheekily and he grinned. "What about you? You know what they say William, ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.'"

"Then I guess I'm dull. I work too much and then I don't feel like doing much but getting home and watching crap TV."

"Do you visit my parents often?"

"Not often, no," he admitted sheepishly.

She gave him a look that said she caught his bluff, but continued on, "How long has Dru been working for you?"

"Couple years now."

"And how many times has she come on to you?"

Will sat back, "I had an idea that she had a crush on me when she first started, but I figured if I ignored it, she'd get the hint and it'd go away."

"Didn't work that way though, did it?" Buffy said, grinning.

"No, it didn't. She just came out one day and said ‘I like you Will and I think we should date.' She went on to tell me how great we'd be together and that she was a wild cat in bed—" He stopped when Buffy coughed on her cheesecake. "All right?"

"Didn't expect that. So, the wild cat thing didn't get you?"

"No. Her being my assistant and me being professional, I declined." Though being professional, he thought, seemed to have flown out the bloody window since you came round.

"How noble of you," Buffy quipped.

He smiled, "I try."

"She's testing me, I know that. Probably doesn't like how I just floated in like I have and thinks I'm an airhead. She wants you all to herself."

"And how do you plan to remedy that, Buffy?" he asked huskily, leaning forward, entranced by the light in her eyes.

She shook her head at him, eyes twinkling with humor. "Now, now William. Can't give you all my secrets. Don't worry. I'll only take her out if I absolutely have to."

William laughed. "Buffy, I have a feeling things are going to be lightening up at that office with you around."





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